Richard Donner is one of the filmmakers who have a significant contribution to making the Superman series a smashing hit in the movie industry. Sadly, Donner passed away on July 5, 2021, from heart failure caused by atherosclerosis. The late director is still regarded as one of the great directors.
It is widely known that he was pals with the late Christopher Reeve, who played Superman. Reeve was paralyzed after he met with an accident that made the Lethal Weapon director feel guilty. After the late actor’s accident, Donner felt awful and wondered if the Superman curse was to blame.
Richard Donner thought the Superman curse was real
Christopher Reeve died on 10 October 2004 due to an infection caused by a bedsore. Before the late actor passed away he was paralyzed for nine years because of the horse accident. In 1995, the Somewhere In Time actor fell from the back of a horse and was paralyzed since then. Richard Donner was very close to the actor therefore after his accident he started spending more time with Reeve. While talking about his bond with the late actor, The Omen director said,
“We were part of each other’s lives. After his accident, I went up and spent time with him. When he was directing his film I didn’t help make the movie, but I was there. I could confide in him and he could confide in me.”
Because of what happened to the Superman III actor, Donner thought that the Superman curse that people talk about is real. The Superman curse is the term used to describe a string of unrelated tragedies that happened to the numerous actors who played the character.
Richard Donner said that there has to be a reason why the Superman curse exists
After what happened to Reeve, Donner kept thinking about the Superman curse. The Superman II director said he didn’t want to believe in the curse but somewhere he felt like the curse exists. While talking about the Superman curse, Donner said,
“I don’t wanna believe it. But every once in a while somebody’ll bring it to my attention and I’ll bend to it. God almighty, I hope I’m wrong. But who knows. I have guilt sometimes, about Chris. That what we did brought about the curse of Superman. Look at it. Almost everybody. I don’t believe those things, at all. But they’re there. There’s gotta be a reason that they’re there.”
Just like The Remains Of The Day actor, George Reeves the former Superman was also the victim of the Superman curse. Reeves died because self-inflicted gunshot wound. He played the role of Superman during the 50s era.
Source: Empire
